75 Ways to Secure Your Linux/Mac/Windows Systems With Open Source

75 Ways to Leave Your Malware

March 29, 2010

By
Cynthia Harvey

According to the FBI, cybercrime complaints rose 20 percent in 2009, and victims lost $559 million, more than double the year before.

With online crime on the rise, it's more important than ever to protect your systems. But you don't have to pay a lot of money for security. The open source community continues to produce (and maintain) excellent tools that fulfill a wide variety of security needs.

This year, we've once again updated our list of top open source security apps. While the list isn't exhaustive by any means, we tried to include many of the best tools in a variety of categories. We dropped a few projects from last year's list that have gone inactive or closed source, and we've added a few newcomers that are worth your consideration.

Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware

1. ClamAV

Probably the best-known and most popular open-source anti-virus engine, ClamAV powers numerous commercial and open-source security apps. The version here runs on Linux/Unix, but it's also available with a variety of front-ends for other operating systems (see below). Operating System: Linux.

As you might expect from the name, this app lets you use ClamAV with Windows. The latest version supports Windows 7, and offers improved speed over earlier releases. Operating System: Windows.

3. ClamTk

Like ClamWin, ClamTK provides a front end for the ClamAV engine, this time for the Linux OS. It allows you to schedule system scans, but it does not provide real-time scanning for incoming files. Operating System: Linux.

4. Rootkit Hunter

This no-frills tool scans for rootkits and other malware on Linux system. While it does not provide live or scheduled scanning, the Web site explains how to set up your system to scan daily. Operating System: Linux, Unix.

5. No Autorun

Worried that the thumb drive you're about to insert into your USB port might contain malware? This utility blocks any viruses on the drive from running automatically. Operating System: Windows.

Anti-Spyware

6. Nixory

If you use Firefox, Nixory can help protect you from unwanted cookies and spyware. Importantly, it works alongside your existing anti-virus and firewall solutions. Operating System: OS Independent.

Application Firewall

7. AppArmor

Included with openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise, this application firewall from Novell uses policy-based profiles to control who can access various applications. It protects you from malware that exploits application flaws and effectively contains unwanted programs. Operating System: Linux.

8. ModSecurity

ModSecurity provides an outer layer of protection against attacks. The latest version, released in February 2010, adds new features like parallel text matching, Geo IP resolution, credit card number detection, support for content injection, automated rule updates, scripting, and more. Hardened appliances and commercial support are available from project developer Breach Security. Operating System: OS Independent.

Just because you delete a file doesn't mean it's gone. Eraser makes sure no one can recover your old files by writing over them with random data. Operating System: Windows

11. Wipe

Wipe does the same thing as Eraser, but it works on Linux. Operating System: Linux.

12. Darik's Boot and Nuke

Before you give away or donate an old computer, make sure you completely erase the hard drive. How? Just run Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) from a boot disk. Operating System: OS Independent.

13. Disk Cleaner

This small utility cleans all the �junk� out of your temporary files, cache etc. It deserves inclusion in our security tools because it's also handy for protecting your privacy when using public machines. Operating System: Windows